View source for Whatever Gets You thru the Night

{{short description|1974 single by John Lennon}}
{{EngvarB|date=June 2022}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2022}}
{{Infobox song
| name          = Whatever Gets You thru the Night
| cover         = Whatever Gets.jpeg
| caption       = The cover of the French single
| type          = single
| artist        = [[John Lennon]]
| album         = [[Walls and Bridges]]
| B-side        = [[Beef Jerky (instrumental)|Beef Jerky]]
| released      = 23 September 1974 (US)<br /> 4 October 1974 (UK)
| recorded      = June–July 1974
| genre         = * [[Pop music|Pop]]<ref>{{cite news|first=Troy L. |last=Smith |title=Every No. 1 song of the 1970s ranked from worst to best |website=[[Cleveland.com]] |date=14 December 2021 |access-date=30 January 2023|url=https://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/2021/12/every-no-1-song-of-the-1970s-ranked-from-worst-to-best.html}}</ref><ref name= "Sheffield 2024">{{cite magazine|first= Rob|last= Sheffield|title= The 100 Best Beatles Solo Songs|magazine= [[Rolling Stone]]|date= March 6, 2024|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-beatles-solo-songs-1234972758/john-lennon-how-1971-1234974785/|accessdate= April 25, 2024|quote= Whatever Gets You Thru The Night” is a frozen-daiquiri pop homily...}}</ref>
* [[Funk music|funk]]<ref name="Breihan 2019">{{cite web|first=Tom |last=Breihan |title=The Number Ones: John Lennon's "Whatever Gets You Thru The Night"|website=[[Stereogum]] |date=13 June 2019 |url=https://www.stereogum.com/2047524/the-number-ones-john-lennons-whatever-gets-you-thru-the-night/columns/the-number-ones/|quote=“Whatever Gets You Thru The Night” is a simple vamp, but it’s a wild and funky one.|accessdate=20 June 2023}}</ref>
* [[Rhythm and blues|R&B]]<ref name="Breithaupt 1996">{{cite book|title= Precious and Few - Pop Music in the Early '70s|first1=Don|last1=Breithaupt|first2= Jeff|last2= Breithaupt|date= October 15, 1996|chapter= The Long, Unwinding Road: Solo Beatles|page= 9|publisher=[[St. Martin's Press|St. Martin's Griffin]]|isbn=031214704X|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RMPCAwAAQBAJ}}</ref>
* [[yacht rock]]<ref name="RS 2024">{{cite web|last1= Dolan|first1= Joe|last2= Martoccio|first2= Angie|first3= Rob|last3= Sheffield|title= The 74 Best Albums of 1974|website= [[Rolling Stone]] |date= November 20, 2024|url= https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-albums-1974-1235138526/|quote=...the delicious yacht-rock smoothie “Whatever Gets You Thru the Night"...|accessdate= November 30, 2024}}</ref>
| length        = 3:27
| label         = [[Apple Records|Apple]]
| writer        = John Lennon
| producer      = John Lennon
| prev_title    = [[Mind Games (John Lennon song)|Mind Games]]
| prev_year     = 1973
| next_title    = [[Number 9 Dream|#9 Dream]]
| next_year     = 1974
| misc          = {{External music video|{{YouTube|jBUFV2c_vcU|"Whatever Gets You Thru the Night"}} }}
}}
"'''Whatever Gets You thru the Night'''" is a song written by [[John Lennon]], released as a single in 1974 on [[Apple Records]], catalogue number Apple 1874 in the United States and Apple R5998 in the United Kingdom.<ref name=Listen135/> In the U.S. it peaked at No. 1 on all three record charts: [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]], ''[[Cashbox (magazine)|Cashbox]]'', and ''[[Record World]]'',<ref name="Listen326">{{cite book|last=Blaney|first=John|title=John Lennon: Listen to This Book|year=2005|publisher=Paper Jukebox|location=[S.l.]|isbn=978-0-9544528-1-0|edition=illustrated|page=326}}</ref> and at No. 36 in the [[UK Singles Chart|UK]].<ref name="Listen135">{{cite book|last=Blaney|first=John|title=John Lennon: Listen to This Book|year=2005|publisher=Paper Jukebox|location=[S.l.]|isbn=978-0-9544528-1-0|edition=illustrated|page=135|chapter=1973 to 1975: The Lost Weekend Starts Here}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Record-World/70s/74/RW-1974-11-16.pdf|title=Record World|date=16 November 1974|website=Worldradiohistory.com|access-date=2022-03-14}}</ref> It was the [[lead single]] for Lennon's album ''[[Walls and Bridges]]''; in the UK the single was released on the same day as the album. "Whatever Gets You thru the Night" was Lennon's only solo No. 1 single in the United States during his lifetime,<ref>Madinger, Raille, ''Lennonology'', p430, {{ISBN|978-163110-175-5}}</ref> making him the last member of [[the Beatles]] to finally reach the top of the charts.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.stereogum.com/2047524/the-number-ones-john-lennons-whatever-gets-you-thru-the-night/columns/the-number-ones/|title=The Number Ones: John Lennon's "Whatever Gets You Thru The Night"|website=Stereogum.com|date=13 June 2019|access-date=14 March 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://beatleshistorian.com/?p=133|title=Ringo had TWO number one hits before John had his first number one hit! &#124; BeatlesHistorian.com gives a unique part of Beatles history every week covering Beatles topics not found elsewhere.|website=Beatleshistorian.com|access-date=14 March 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/which-beatle-had-the-most-no-1-hits-as-a-solo-artist.html/|title=Which Beatle Had the Most No. 1 Hits as a Solo Artist?|author=Eric Schaal|website=Cheatsheet.com|date=20 February 2019|access-date=14 March 2022}}</ref> In Canada, the single spent two weeks at No. 2, and became the 30th biggest hit of 1974.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?file_num=nlc008388.3893a&brws_s=&type=1&interval=20&PHPSESSID=96v4f86jhlhf8toiujeff8oh71 |title=Item Display – RPM – Library and Archives Canada |website=Collectionscanada.gc.ca |access-date=2016-10-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161010214554/http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?file_num=nlc008388.3893a&brws_s=&type=1&interval=20&PHPSESSID=96v4f86jhlhf8toiujeff8oh71 |archive-date=10 October 2016 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
==Writing==
The inspiration for the lyrics came from late-night television. In December 2005, [[May Pang]] told ''[[Radio Times]]'': 'At night [Lennon] loved to [[channel surfing|channel-surf]], and would pick up phrases from all the shows. One time, he was watching [[Reverend Ike]], a famous black evangelist, who was saying, 'Let me tell you guys, it doesn't matter, it's whatever gets you through the night.' John loved it and said, 'I've got to write it down or I'll forget it.' He always kept a pad and pen by the bed. That was the beginning of "Whatever Gets You thru the Night".'
The music was inspired by the No. 1 single at the time, "[[Rock Your Baby]]" by [[George McCrae]].<ref>Playboy Interview, Sheff, 1981</ref><ref name=Listen138>{{cite book|last=Blaney|first=John|title=John Lennon: Listen to This Book|year=2005|publisher=Paper Jukebox|location=[S.l.]|isbn=978-0-9544528-1-0|edition=illustrated|page=138|chapter=1973 to 1975: The Lost Weekend Starts Here}}</ref> Although the released track bears little resemblance, the inspiration is more apparent on the alternative version released on ''[[John Lennon Anthology]].''
==Content==
The recording featured [[Elton John]] on harmony vocals and piano. While in the studio, Elton bet Lennon that the song would top the charts, and such was Lennon's scepticism that Elton secured from him a promise to appear on stage at one of his performances, should the record indeed hit No. 1. When the record did achieve that feat, Lennon appeared at John's Thanksgiving performance at [[Madison Square Garden]] on 28 November 1974. It was Lennon's last major concert appearance.
"Whatever Gets You thru the Night" was not Lennon's first choice for a single. It was chosen by Capitol Records vice-president [[Al Coury]], who had recently worked his singles 'magic' with [[Paul McCartney]]'s album ''[[Band on the Run]]''.<ref name="PangInstamaticKarma">Pang "Instamatic Karma" 2008</ref> Lennon created a promotional film for the song, in which he lip-synced the first verse while walking through [[Manhattan]].
In 1991, [[Yoko Ono]] created an alternate video for the song that appeared the following year on ''[[The John Lennon Video Collection]]''. The video features animations of Lennon's drawings, which were lifted from the 1986 short film ''The John Lennon Sketchbook'' and directed by [[John Canemaker]].
In 2007, Yoko Ono granted [[Amnesty International]] the opportunity to have a number of bands cover Lennon's solo songbook, which included this song. [[Los Lonely Boys]] and [[Les Trois Accords]] performed it as the second single from the ''[[Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur]]'' album.
The live recording [[Elton John Band|with the Elton John Band]] was released in 1981 on the EP ''28 November 1974''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.discogs.com/Elton-John-Band-Featuring-John-Lennon-And-Muscle-Shoals-Horns-The-28th-November-1974/master/73022 |title=Elton John Band Featuring John Lennon And Muscle Shoals Horns, The* – 28th November, 1974 at Discogs |publisher=Discogs |date=28 November 1974 |access-date=30 October 2012}}</ref> The recording is also available on the box set ''[[Lennon (album)|Lennon]]'' (1990) and the 1996 expanded/remastered edition of Elton's album ''[[Here and There (Elton John album)|Here and There]]'' (1976).
[[Bobby Keys]] has performed the song in concert. [[Bryan Ferry]], Mike Martin, and Addy Rhodes have also recorded the song.
==Reception==
''[[Cash Box]]'' stated, "The [[production (music)|production]] is excellent and the [[arrangement (music)|arrangement]] is full, using diverse instrumentation. Lennon's lyric as always is catchy and the driving rhythms have this moving up extra fast."<ref name=cb>{{cite news|title=CashBox Record Reviews|date=28 September 1974|page=24|access-date=2021-12-11|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/70s/1974/CB-1974-09-28.pdf|newspaper=Cash Box}}</ref>
==Chart performance==
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
===Weekly charts===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"
|-
!align="left"|Chart (1974–1975)
!align="left"|Peak<br />position
|-
|align="left"|Australia ([[Kent Music Report]])<ref>{{cite book|first= David |last= Kent |authorlink= David Kent (historian) |title= [[Kent Music Report|Australian Chart Book 1970–1992]] |publisher= Australian Chart Book |location= [[St Ives, New South Wales|St Ives]], N.S.W. |year= 1993 |isbn= 0-646-11917-6}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|34
|-
|align="left"|Canada [[RPM (magazine)|''RPM'']] Top Singles<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.3950a&type=1&interval=50&PHPSESSID=ovsia94ipgfsd02dotc6sneu40 |title=Item Display – RPM – Library and Archives Canada |website=Collectionscanada.gc.ca |access-date=2016-10-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141019161939/http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.3950a&type=1&interval=50&PHPSESSID=ovsia94ipgfsd02dotc6sneu40 |archive-date=19 October 2014 |url-status=dead  }}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|2
|-
|Italy (''[[Musica e Dischi]]'')<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.musicaedischi.it/classifiche_archivio.php|title=Classifiche|work=[[Musica e Dischi]]|language=it|access-date=27 May 2022}} Set "Tipo" on "Singoli". Then, in the "Artista" field, search "John Lennon".</ref>
|align="center"|12
|-
|align="left"|[[Dutch Top 40|Netherlands]]
| style="text-align:center;"|21
|-
|South Africa ([[Springbok Radio]])<ref>{{cite web|title=SA Charts 1965 – March 1989|url=http://www.rock.co.za/files/springbok_top_20_(L).html|website=Rock.co.za|access-date=1 September 2018}}</ref>
|align="center"|15
|-
{{singlechart|UK|36|date=1974-10-27}}
|-
|US ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' [[Billboard Hot 100|Hot 100]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100/1974-11-16/ |title=Billboard Hot 100, Week of November 16, 1974 |website=Billboard.com |access-date=2024-09-10}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|1
|-
|align="left"|US ''[[Cashbox (magazine)|Cash Box]]'' Top 100<ref>http://cashboxmagazine.com/archives/70s_files/1975 {{dead link|date=October 2016}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|1
|}
{{col-2}}
===Year-end charts===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!align="left"|Chart (1974)
! style="text-align:center;"|Rank
|-
|Canada<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.3893a&type=1&interval=50&PHPSESSID=vovgbmiai2h2bt2ti1gn3a61a4 |title=Item Display – RPM – Library and Archives Canada |website=Collectionscanada.gc.ca |access-date=2016-10-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141220234545/http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.3893a&type=1&interval=50&PHPSESSID=vovgbmiai2h2bt2ti1gn3a61a4 |archive-date=20 December 2014 |url-status=dead  }}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|30
|-
|US ([[Joel Whitburn]]'s ''Pop Annual'')<ref>{{cite book |last=Whitburn |first=Joel |date=1999 |title=Pop Annual |location=Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin |publisher=Record Research Inc. |isbn=0-89820-142-X}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|35
|}
{{col-end}}
==Personnel==
The musicians who performed on the original recording were:<ref name="blaney145">{{cite book |first=John |last=Blaney |title=John Lennon: Listen To This Book |year=2005| publisher=Biddles Ltd. |location=Guildford, Great Britain |isbn=0-9544528-1-X |page=145}}</ref>
*[[John Lennon]] – lead vocals, guitar
*[[Elton John]] – harmony vocals, piano, organ<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://jpgr.co.uk/pctc253.html|title=Walls And Bridges|website=Jpgr.co.uk|access-date=14 March 2022}}</ref>
*[[Ken Ascher]] – [[clavinet]]
*[[Jesse Ed Davis]] – electric guitar
*[[Eddie Mottau]] – acoustic guitar
*[[Klaus Voormann]] – bass
*[[Jim Keltner]] – drums
*[[Arthur Jenkins (musician)|Arthur Jenkins]] – percussion
*[[Bobby Keys]] – tenor saxophone
*[[Ron Aprea]] – alto saxophone
The musicians who performed on the 1974 live recording largely comprised Elton John's band:
*John Lennon – guitar, vocals
*Elton John – harmony vocal, piano
*[[Davey Johnstone]] – guitar
*[[Dee Murray]] – bass
*[[Nigel Olsson]] – drums
*[[Ray Cooper]] – percussion
*The [[Muscle Shoals Horns]]
==References==
{{Reflist}}
==External links==
*[http://www.jpgr.co.uk/r5998.html John Lennon – Whatever Gets You Thru The Night] at Graham Calkin's Beatles Pages.
* {{YouTube|6lFTD9O-XMw|John Lennon – Whatever Gets You thru the Night}}
{{John Lennon}}
{{John Lennon Singles}}{{Elton John songs}}{{Plastic Ono Band}}
{{Authority control}}
[[Category:John Lennon songs]]
[[Category:Apple Records singles]]
[[Category:1974 singles]]
[[Category:Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles]]
[[Category:Cashbox number-one singles]]
[[Category:Songs written by John Lennon]]
[[Category:Song recordings produced by John Lennon]]
[[Category:1974 songs]]
[[Category:Plastic Ono Band songs]]
[[Category:Songs about nights]]
[[Category:Male vocal duets]]
[[Category:British funk songs]]